Down The Track

After an end of year break, Sean and Tim are back to discuss, assess and dissect the major themes of athletics across the state, nation and world.   Although by definition the decade hasn’t technically ended, we do have a look at some major themes in athletics from 2010 through to 2019.  Plenty of positives and negatives to throw around and we’re not just talking drugs in sport! After 15 years the Zatopek returned to Hagenauer Reserve in Box Hill, and what a meet it was!  Stewart McSweyn stole the show with an Australian 10,000m record but there was so much else that made this a meet that will be talked about for years to come. Two meets in two states on one day may have ruffled some feathers, but there’s no doubt the Steigen Spectacular in Geelong and Albie Thomas Australian Mile Championship in Bankstown NSW both delivered excellent products.  Sean and Tim discuss the meets and what they contribute to the Australian athletics landscape. Meanwhile Athletics Victoria and our clubs have been busy with a packed program including the Track Relays Championships, 5000m State Championships, more rounds of AVSL and the Athletics Essendon hosted Zatopek Graded 10000m races. Sean enlightens us with his top five highlights in athletics over the past two months while Tim provides a quick review of the World Mountain Running Championships held in Argentina. It’s a new year and the 2020’s have started, and so too has the athletic action.  Keep tuning in to Down the Track to stay on top of the news. Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:00:58 Intro and welcome Sean to Episode 30 0:01:00 to 0:22:50 A decade in review – the Twenty Teens 0:22:51 to 0:37:58 Zatopek 2019 0:37:59 to 0:52:11 The Steigen Spectacular and Albie Thomas Mile 0:52:12 to 1:01:35 A wrap of Victorian events including the Track Relay Championships, Victorian 5000m Championships, an AVSL update and the Zatopek lower grades 0:58:11 to 1:18:30 Sean’s top 5 highlights from November & December 2019 1:18:31 to 1:22:58 World Mountain Running Championships 1:22:59 to 1:27:45 Episode wrap and what’s coming up

Lots to talk about once again as Sean & Tim digest all the action in the world of athletics. Weekend 2 of the All Schools Championships once again provided some challenging conditions as the heavens opened up of the Saturday competition. Nonetheless the cream rose to the top and some great performances in trying conditions were recorded. Day one of the World Para Athletics in Dubai provided Australia and Victoria with a big reason to celebrate as Jaryd Clifford took gold and claimed a new world record in the 1500m. Michael Roeger snared a silver in the 1500m to kick off a championship that holds plenty of promise for Team Australia. A number of AV Specialist Groups have kicked off their seasons so we report in on the action from the Rare Air Club and Milers Club meets. Lisa Verstraten was trackside at Milers Club to grab interviews with Marlie Campton, Alex Rowe, Lucinda Rourke and Sam McEntee. The Race Walking Club also started their summer program at Middle Park with a range of distances on offer. There are hot topics a plenty at the moment! Tim has delved into the current WADA banned list of athletes to come up with the top 10 nations – fortunately Australia is not there. With news coming through of the IOC move to shift the Out of Stadium Olympic events away from Tokyo to Sapporo, Sean discusses the reasons behind it and potential problems that may still face the organisers. And there are some disgruntled athletes in the Diamond League scene now that World Athletics have decided to dup a number of events from the 2020 program. The New York marathon has been run and won, so Sean provides an update of the performances from both the International and Australian competitors. So the anniversary edition of Down the Track is full of information, results and analysis from across the athletics spectrum. Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:24 Intro and welcome Sean to Episode 29 0:01:25 to 0:20:23 All Schools weekend 2 wrap 0:20:24 to 0:26:21 World Para Athletics Championship update including gold to Jaryd Clifford and silver to Michael Roeger 0:26:22 to 0:28:56 Rare Air Club Meet 1 0:28:57 to 0:58:10 Victorian Milers Club Meet 1 including interviews with Marlie Campton, Alex Rowe, Lucinda Rourke & Sam McEntee   0:58:11 to 0:59:10 ARWC Summer Walks 0:59:11 to 1:19:47 Hot Topics – who are the top 10 countries on the WADA banned athlete list? Sean also talks about the move of the Olympic Out of Stadium events to Sapporo and in a controversial move, World Athletics have dropped a number of events from the Diamond League program 1:19:48 to 1:20:43 Revvies update 1:20:44 to 1:31:27 New York Marathon discussion 1:31:28 to 1:33:53 What’s coming up 1:33:54 to 1:35:02 Episode 29 wrap

Dual Australian record holder Linden Hall joins Sean and Tim for another big episode of Down the Track. October 9th is now officially Peter Norman day, and a big collection of dignitaries, athletics royalty and Peter’s family gathered at Lakeside Stadium for the unveiling of his statue which stands proudly outside Gate 1.  DTT caught up with Peter’s daughter Janita and we discuss the legacy of the man and change in attitudes over time that now see him as a figure globally honoured and respected. It was with sadness that our sport recently lost John Higham. A multiple Australian champion, Commonwealth Games medallist and active administrator at local, state and national level, John was a large figure in the sport of athletics and will be greatly missed. Recently returned from her campaign that culminated in the World Championship 1500m in Doha, Linden Hall chats about her season and provides great insight into the ups and downs of life on the athletic circuit. After a busy few weeks that included a number of high profile events, there were  certainly plenty of results to chew over.  Domestically the Melbourne Marathon went to a new level setting an Australian record for marathon participation, with the Half Marathon, 10km and 5km also being sell out events.  On the same weekend Chicago played host to Brigid Kosgei’s world best in the marathon, taking a sizeable chunk off Paula Radcliffe’s previous world best set in 2003. The INEOS Breaking 2 project attracted worldwide attention and conversation around this, Kosgei’s record, shoe technology and some wash up from the Nike Oregon Project form the basis of our hot topics. AVSL is now three rounds down so we look into the ladders and highlight some individual performances of note. For all the latest in the world of Athletics Victoria, tune in to Down the Track. Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:20 Intro and welcome Sean and Linden to Episode 28 0:01:21 to 0:10:05 Unveiling of the Peter Norman Statue and vale John Higham 0:10:06 to 0:38:37 Spotlight on Linden Hall 0:38:38 to 1:01:05 Results wrap – Melbourne Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Toronto Marathon and the APS finals. 1:01:06 to 1:12:48 Hot Topics 1:12:49 to 1:25:16 AVSL wrap of team ladders and standout individual performances from the first three rounds.  We also go through the events coming up in Victoria 1:25:17 to 1:27:37 Episode wrap

Sean returns from his trip to Doha and joins Tim for a general conversation on what proved to be an interesting World Championships on a number of fronts. With an insider's view of the many facets of Doha 2019, Sean provides some great insight on the championships. In other results Max Ueda and Bec Beagley took wins in the Victorian Trail Running Championships at Lysterfield Lake and they both speak to DTT about the event and what they are up to. Meanwhile Kenenisa Bekele narrowly missed the World Marathon best time on the roads of Berlin. And in a surprise result DTT’s very own Nick Earl took the scalp of a 2:07 marathon runner on his way to victory in the Brussels Half Marathon. DTT are pleased to welcome Revvies Energy Strips on board as a sponsor and we reveal the great deal they have for listeners. During the World Championships the Alberto Salazar bombshell dropped. Sean and Tim have a frank discussion on what it means and how various key players may be impacted. Also during the World Championships an Australian bombshell dropped with Athletics Australia and Little Athletics Australia signing a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at delivering One Sport.  Athletics Victoria President Allison Robison joins us to talk about this major step forward in our sport. Gorgeous Melbourne Spring conditions welcomed athletes to AVSL Rd 1 at Nunawading and Aberfeldie. Lots of competitors took the opportunity to experience the new competition model and the feedback was generally positive. October 13th will see two marathons of interest being run – locally it’s the Melbourne Marathon which is on target to be the largest marathon ever staged in Australia. Halfway around the world, Lisa Weightman will take to the streets of Chicago for a much anticipated first shot at Olympic qualification. Lisa speaks to DTT about her stellar year and the preparation for what will be a pivotal race in her career. Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:26 Intro and welcome to Episode 27 0:01:27 to 0:25:11 Doha 19 wrap 0:30:40 to 0:42:52 Other results including the Victorian Trail Running Championships, the Berlin Marathon and Nick Earl’s Half Marathon in Belgium 0:42:53 to 0:44:23 Revvies Energy Strips comes on board as a Podcast sponsor 0:44:24 to 1:06:11 The Salazar debate 1:06:12 to 1:35:25 Athletics Victoria President Allison Robison joins the podcast to talk all things One Sport 1:35:26 to 1:38:42 AVSL commences 1:38:43 to 1:54:16 Lisa Weightman talks to us about the Chicago Marathon and we preview the Melbourne Marathon 1:54:17 to 1:56:36 Episode wrap and a discussion about the newly formed club in Shepparton

The dulcet tones of Hamish Beaumont are welcomed into the Down the Track studio once again to talk all things athletics.  Episode 26 leads off with a summary of the three Australian Championships conducted on Sunday 15th September - the Marathon in Sydney, the Road Racing in Adelaide and Mountain Running in Brisbane. Some great performances once again from our Victorian contingent with Lisa Weightman (Road) and Simone Brick (Mountains) being crowned Australian Champions.  XCR’19 came to an exciting conclusion with Rd.10 at the Tan Track. St Stephens Harriers maintained their year long consistency to take out the Men’s Premier Division, while we had to wait until the final runners crossed the line in the Women’s race to award the Collingwood Harriers their first Premier Division team title. We also cover the huge battle in Men’s Division 2 between APS United and the Bendigo Region.  With the INEOS Sub 2 challenge not far away, Kenya’s Geoffrey Kamworor grabbed his moment of glory in the lead up by establishing a new World’s best time for the Half Marathon in Copenhagen. Hamish and Tim contemplate a Kamworor v Eliud Kipchopge showdown over the marathon distance. Ash Watson did some record breaking of his own, this time over the trails and beaches of the Surf Coast where he won the 100km event in under 8hrs.  With AV Shield not far away, discussion turns to the new AVSL concept and how it will hopefully change up team based track and field athletics across Victoria.  Some additional athletes have been added to the Australian team bound for Doha and we also look forward to the Victorian Trail Running Championships and Melbourne Marathon Festival.  We wrap the episode with our first bloopers out take, so hang on to the bitter end for an amusing conclusion to the podcast.  So sit back and enjoy another edition of Australia’s leading athletic podcast – Down the Track. Brought to you by Revvies. Timeline  0:00:00 to 0:01:11 Intro and we welcome Hamish Beaumont to Episode 26  0:01:12 to 0:19:14 Wrap of the three Australians Championships in one day – the Marathon in Sydney, the Road Racing in Adelaide and Mountain Running in Brisbane.  0:19:15 to 0:49:00 The wash up from the XCR’19 Tan Relays with the individual top results, team results and Premiership deciders. We interview Eleanor Benson (MUAC), Tom Thorpe (SSH), Jordan Williamsz (APS), Amy Robinson (COL) and Nick Bowden (SSH)  0:49:01 to 0:58:18 A round up of other results including Geoffrey Kamworor’s World Half Marathon best time in Copenhagen and Ash Watson smashing records at the Surf Coast Century 100km  0:58:19 to 1:01:15 Hot topics – AVSL arrives  1:01:16 to 1:05:03 Additions to the Australian World Championships team for Doha  1:05:04 to 1:11:30 What’s coming up including the Victorian Trail Running Championships, AV Shield and the Melbourne Marathon Festival.  1:11:31 to 1:14:15 Down the Track’s first bloopers out take and a welcome to Revvies who will be supporting the podcast

We're back for another big Episode of Down the Track, with special guest Rhydian Cowley. In this episode we go through the World Champs team announcement, results from the Burnley Half Marathon, plus other local and international results and hot topics. We've also got special guest interviews from Rebecca Beagley, Kiah Fry, Liam Adams, Ryan Geard and Sharon Firisua. The world of athletics never stops!

With so much Australian activity on the European circuit, Sean and Tim review the late August results from places as diverse as Cork in Ireland through to Schifflange in Luxembourg. The clock is ticking towards the Doha cut off so which Australians are booking their spots on the World Championship team? Kembla Grange played host to the 2019 Australian Cross Country Championships, so for the most complete review of all the Junior and Senior action listen in to Tim & Sean’s first hand insights to a great day of racing. Once again the DTT voice recorder was working overtime to bring a range of interviews from some event winners and notable Victorian performers.  With the world’s fastest man (allegedly) missing three tests, the Hot Topics kick off with Christian Coleman before Ato Bolden coming into the less than salubrious spotlight. David Rudisha survived a rather nasty road accident on his way home to Kilgoris in Kenya and we discuss where his athletics career may be headed. Tim puts the Twitter account of Percy Cerutty under the spotlight and Sean rounds out the hot topics with a look at the Chicago Marathon fields featuring our own Lisa Weightman.  The DeCastella run and NSW State Half Marathon Championship results are discussed then we look forward to some big events coming up including the Burnley Half Marathon, Australian Marathon Championships in Sydney, Australian Road Racing Championships in Adelaide and Australian Mountain Running Championships in Brisbane.  The athletics action never stops…  Timeline  0:00:00 to 0:01:11 – Intro and welcome to Episode 24  0:01:12 to 0:30:39 – International wrap including Diamond League action and a number of other Australian performances in Europe  0:30:40 to 1:45:37 – A comprehensive review of the 2019 Australian Cross Country Championships featuring interviews with Lucinda Rourke, Jhye Hadfield, Ashton MacDonald, Jaylah Hancock-Cameron, Aidan Roberts, Sam Clifford, Juliet McBurney, Ed Marks, David McNeill, Andrew Buchanan, Emily Brichacek, Kiah Fry and Peter Schuwalow  1:45:38 to 1:53:55 – Discussion on some statistical elements of the Australian Cross Country  1:49:25 to 1:59:22 – Domestic results including the DeCastella Run and ANSW Half Marathon  1:59:23 to 2:13:58 – Hot topics – Christian Coleman, David Rudisha, Percy Cerutty and the Chicago Marathon field  2:13:59 to 2:19:40 – What’s coming up including the Burnley Half Marathon and our super Australian Championship weekend – the Marathon Champs in Sydney, Road Champs in Adelaide and Mountain Champs in Brisbane

 Tim and Sean are back for another riveting episode of Down the Track. The in-studio guest is Maxine Paholek, back in Australia on break from Boise State University where as a Freshman she established herself as a key member of the Bronco’s NCAA Cross Country and Track squads. Maxine provides great insight into her experience so far in the NCAA system, and adapting to life in general as a US College student. With some great performances over the cross country season then recording a substantial PB in her specialist track event the 3000m Steeple, Maxine talks us through how she approached each season and the usual highs and lows along the way. In international news the Australian performances in Europe continue with Ninove (Belgium) and Bern (Switzerland) playing hos to a number of Australians including Ryan & Genevieve Gregson, Michelle Jenneke, James Hansen and Nick Hough. Heidi See popped out a 4:33 mile in the USA, while Georgia Winkcup continued her strong progression in the steeple with a World Championship qualifier in Birmingham. Domestically we had the Australian Half Marathon Championship on the Sunshine Coast with Lisa Weightman highlighting the stellar field to collect a $25,000 bonus by running the fastest Half Marathon on Australian soil. An unfortunate directional error by the officials lead to Jack Rayner being DQ’d, allowing Kevin Batt to claim the Australian title.   The world’s biggest timed fun run, Sydney’s City to Surf, saw Victorian based Harry Summers almost claim Steve Moneghetti’s long standing race record, falling just 2sec shy of the mark. South Australian Tara Palm continued on from her impressive Run at Adelaide’s Fitzy’s 5 to claim the women’s title in the Harbour City.   Athletics Victoria’s General Manager of Sport Delivery, Ross Cunningham, joins the Podcast to talk about the upcoming Summer season. With some new initiatives, including the introduction of the Athletics Victoria Shield League, Ross details what participants can expect from the new season.   With Sally Pearson announcing her retirement, the team examine her legacy to the sport and potential gaps that may now appear within the Australian team environment at the major championships. In a recurring hot topic, more issues have been raised about Nike shoe technology, this time the spikes used by Sifan Hassan to break the World Mile record.   With the Australian Cross Country Championship not far away, Sean and Tim review the main contenders based on who they believe to be running and assess Victoria’s chances to win the women’s and men’s team titles.   The world of athletics never stops! Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:12 Intro and welcome to Maxine Paholek 0:01:13 to 0:17:54 International wrap including Ninove in Belgium and Bern in Switzerland 0:17:55 to 1:00:09 Spotlight on Maxine Paholek 1:00:10 to 1:20:14 Domestic results including the Australian Half Marathon Championship and Sydney’s City to Surf 1:20:15 to 1:49:24 AV’s Ross Cunnigham details what to expect from the upcoming AV Summer season including the introduction of the Athletics Victoria Shield League 1:49:25 to 2:09:39 In the hot topics we cover Sally Pearson’s retirement and the continuing saga of Nike shoe technology 2:09:40 to 2:20:42 We wrap the Podcast with a preview of the Australian Cross Country Championship  

After successfully navigating the highways and byways of continental Europe, a tanned but not so fit Sean Whipp re-joins the Down the Track team for Episode 22.  Joining Sean and Tim in the DTT hot seat is Hamish Beaumont – a man who needs no introduction. The episode kicks off with Sean enlightening us on his European tour as an athlete manager, culminating in Catriona Bisset’s record breaking 800m performance at the London Diamond League.  Sean also reflects on the World University Games in Naples before moving on to an in depth analysis of the Australian performances in London. XCR’19 moved to balmy Ballarat in the depths of winter, where unseasonal conditions provided a great opportunity for runners to post fast 15km & 6km times around the Lake Wendouree circuit.  DTT caught up with race winners Kiah Fry and Andrew Buchanan to discuss their runs. And as we move to the latter stages of XCR’19, Hamish delivers an honest assessment of the various Premiership and relegation battles across the divisions. Athletics Victoria CEO Glenn Turnor also provides some comment and thoughts on the XCR series by way of an interview recorded immediately after the Lake Wendouree race. Lisa Weightman lit up the Australian running scene in Sydney last weekend by running a World Record for an 40 year old over the classic 10km road race distance.  Lisa’s time of 31:55 was a PB for the three time Olympian who is looking toward Tokyo to join a very elite group of four time Olympians in athletics.  We hear from Lisa about her run and the next phase of her preparation. Joining Lisa as a World Record breaker, Steve Moneghetti ran a big race on his home circuit to take the World 55 to 59 record for the 15km.  Mona joins DTT for a quick chat about the Lake Wendouree event. In another feature interview we catch up with Sam Rizzo, the Ballarat based wheelie who under the guidance of Richard Colman has his sights set firmly on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.  We round out the feature interviews by catching up with Nick Earl at the Tasmanian Cross Country Championships at Pontville.  Nick agonizes over being beaten by someone half his age and having heckling directed at him from across Bass Strait by Hamish Beaumont. In the Hot Topics Sean, Tim and Hamish tackle the issues around Shayna Jack and the current crisis Swimming Australia now face, while the Caster Semenya case continues to attract headlines, this time due to the fact she will not be competing in the upcoming World Championships. So that’s Episode 22 – the best 3hrs of listening you’ll get this week! 0:00:00 to 0:01:19 – Intro and welcome to co-hosts Sean Whipp and Hamish Beaumont 0:01:20 to 0:35:37 – The European wrap and insights from Sean on his European tour 0:35:38 to 0:53:34 – Review of XCR’19 round 7 at Lake Wendouree in Ballarat. (Includes interviews with Andrew Buchanan and Kiah Fry) 0:53:55 to 1:48:06 – Analysis of XCR’19 including the ladder battles and views on some of the trends being experienced this season. Glenn Turnor from Athletics Victoria is also interviewed about XCR 1:48:07 to 2:00:01 – In other results Lisa Weightman breaks the World Over 40 10k road running record in Sydney and we hear from her about the run.  We also cover Liam Adams and Charlotte Wilson as they tackle the Westlink Marathon is Western Sydney. 2:00:02 to 2:21:51 – Feature interviews with Steve Moneghetti, Sam Rizzo and Nick Earl  2:21:52 to 2:38:57– Hot topics – Shayna Jack’s positive drugs test, the Caster Semenya story and changes to the Victorian Cross Team for Kembla Grange 2:38:58 to 2:50:17 – Upcoming events including the Australian Half Marathon Champs, XCR at Cruden Farm, the Australian Mountain Running Championships and Victorian Trail Running Championships Episode wrap and preview of Episode 23

The World University Games dominates Episode 21 with Nick Wall joining Tim to discuss the competition, the results and what it means to Australian athletics. Finishing third on the medal table with a record tally of 10 medals, the games were certainly viewed as a successful one for Team Australia. Thanks to Rob Cumbrae-Stewart from Athletics Australia, we have several great interviews lined up, including many of our medallists who provide insight into their games’ experiences. Stewart McSweyn propelled himself to second on the Australian All-Time list for 1500m with a great run to finish eighth at the Monaco Diamond League. Nicola McDermott also performed well by placing third in the High Jump in a meet that produced 10 national records, 5 world leads, 4 meet records and a World Record. The Lakeside:10 once again produced the highest quality field for an Australian 10km road race.  With 14 sub 30min performances and over half the field going under 40mins, our local 10k finishing in Lakeside Stadium stamps itself as the quickest in the country, even in conditions that were less than perfect. Nick and Tim discuss the results and compare the event to other major 10k races in Australia.  Feature interviews with the race winners Whitney Sharpe and Harry Summers are included. The Pacific Games are currently underway in Samoa and Nick reviews the results to date. There is also plenty happening in Europe with Kelsey-Lee Barber and Catriona Bissett having good wins on the circuit. It takes a while for the boys to wind up into a Hot Topic, but the disgrace that is Athletics Kenya gets a mention, particularly given they are still at this stage the host nation for the next World Juniors.  Some strong views are expressed and a recent drug bust has particular relevance to our flagship event, the Zatopek. So plenty of news, analysis and informed commentary in another big week of athletics. Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:03 Intro and welcome to co-host Nick Wall 0:01:04 to 0:04:20 Catch up with Nick Wall 0:04:21 to 0:41:15 General discussion and overview of the World University Games. Feature interviews with medallists Matt Denny, Katie Heyward & Jemima Montag, Catriona Bissett, Darcy Roper, Georgia Griffith, Alec Diamond, and the Women’s 4 x 400m team. 0:41:16 to 0:59:50 Further coverage from the World University Games including interviews  with Tori West, Lizzie Hedding, Riley Cocks & Lachlan Cook, and Bri Illarda   1:00:15 to 1:13:33 Monaco Diamond League wrap 1:13:34 to 1:38:20 Full coverage of the Lakeside:10 including interviews with Whitney Sharpe & Harry Summers 1:38:21 to 1:50:25 Other results including the Pacific Games, Kelsey Lee-Barber’s big throw, Catriona Bissett continues her winning run and Nick talks all things Downunder Games 1:50:26 to 2:00:55 Upcoming coaching courses and the Lake Wendouree Road Race. In hot topics, Tim and Nick talk about more issues in Kenya and the selection process for the World Half Marathon Championships in March 2:00:56 to 2:03:06 Episode wrap and a preview of Episode 22

 The recent Oceania Track & Field Championships in Townsville are the central theme for Episode 20 of DTT.   With Sean Whipp enduring the European heatwave on a diet of pasta and chianti, Tim is joined in studio by Lisa Verstraten as co-host. And in the guest’s chair we are very pleased to have Oceania Athletics Council member Matt Mahon to provide the inside word on the Championships from the organiser’s perspective.   The episode kicks off with the announcement of the very strong Victorian open teams taking part in the Australian Half Marathon Championship on the Sunshine Coast and the Australian Cross Country Championships in Wollongong – both competitions taking place in August.   Discussion turns to the Oceania Championships with Matt providing some great insight into the organisation, the event and the bearing these Championships now have on athletics in Australia and across the region.   The first part of our results wrap focusses on the Sprints/Hurdles, Jumps and Para events and includes interviews with Eddie Nketia, Jack Hale, Naa Anang, Mietta Russell, Brooke Stratton, Chad Perris and Marty Jackson.   Stage two of the results wrap looks at the Middle & Long Distance, Throws & Walks with interviews from Matt Ramsden, Ben Buckingham, Melissa Duncan, Paige Campbell, Damien Birkenhead, Benjamin Voogd, Kelsey- Lee Barber, Isobella Simonelli and Jemima Montag.   With so much great interview coverage from the Oceania Championships, we’ve edited six feature interviews that go into greater detail or provide a story we believe is worth retelling. These interviews are with Elizaveta Parnova, Kelsey-Lee Barber, Matt Ramsden, Brooke Stratton, Naa Anang and Harry Summers.   Meanwhile in Victoria the XCR competition continues on it’s merry way and we provide coverage of the recent relay events… the Ekiden in Anglesea and the Road Relays at Sandown.   Rosie Donegan leads off the other results segment with her tremendous Steeplechase effort in the US that places as the Australian lead for 2019 and in the box seat for a trip to Doha later in the year. We also go through the results from the various races conducted on the Gold Coast over the weekend.   Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:41 Intro and welcome to Lisa Verstraten and Matt Mahon 0:01:42 to 0:08:45 Victorian Team Announcements – Australian Half Marathon & Australian Cross Country Championships 0:08:46 to 0:29:20 General discussion and overview of the Oceania Championships 0:29:40 to 1:00:46 Oceania results part 1 – Sprints & Hurdles, Jumps & Paras. 1:00:47 to 1:47:08 Oceania results part 2 – Middle Distance & Distance, Throws & Walks 1:47:09 to 2:15:34 Feature interviews with Elizaveta Parnova, Kelsey-Lee Barber, Matt Ramsden, Brooke Stratton, Naa Anang & Harry Summers 2:15:35 to 2:27:40 XCR coverage including the recent events at Anglesea and Sandown 2:27:41 to 2:47:49 Other results including Rosie Donegan’s breakthrough steeple to qualify for the Doha World Champs and a summary of the Gold Coast Marathon events 2:47:50 to 2:51:20 What’s coming up and episode wrap 

Down the Track - Episode 19   Jaryd Clifford joins Sean & Tim for Episode 19 of Down the Track. Jaryd opens up about his career in athletics, the important influences in his career and future plans.   Ben Buckingham produced a big result in Europe, so Sean provides an overview of this and other performances from across the world.   A number of hot topics provide Sean with plenty to talk about. The Caster Semenya case is back in the courts and the saga that is the Russian athletics drug scandal just continues to provide great fodder for DTT! Former Victorian middle distance runner, James Whelan, has transitioned nicely to pro cycling and has just signed for Education First -Drapac team in Europe. And in a very good news story, Sean & Tim discuss the historically high number of Australian women who have broken 16min for 5000m. All the action from the All Schools and XCR races at Bundoora is discussed with interviews from Abbey Caldwell, Luca Di Conza, Ellie Pashley and Harry Summers providing insight into their races.   Lisa Verstraten was busy at Bundoora and caught up with Dave McNeill for a nice long interview, while the extended cuts of her chats with Ellie and Harry are also aired.   Canberra hosted the race walkers for the annual Lake Burley Griffin competition over the Queens Birthday long weekend so these results plus the Melbourne Throws meet and Big Backyard Ultra are discussed. Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:14 Intro and welcome to Jaryd Clifford 0:01:15 to 0:19:44 International wrap including Ben Buckingham’s breakthrough Steeplechase run in Europe 0:19:45 to 0:50:11 Spotlight on Jaryd Clifford 0:50:11 to 1:13:13 Hot Topics – Sean provides an update on the legal manoeuvring’s of the Caster Semenya case, more developments on the dirty Russians and their drug culture plus we chat about former Old Xavs runner James Whelan who has signed with professional cycling team Education First – Drapac.  And looking through the rankings Sean & Tim discuss the best all time depth in the women’s 5000m. 1:13:14 to 1:43:55 Bundoora Cross Country wrap including interviews with Abbey Caldwell, Luca Di Conza, Ellie Pashley & Harry Summers 1:43:56 to 2:04:43 Extended interviews with Dave McNeill, Ellie Pashley & Harry Summers 2:04:44 to 2:13:40 Other results including the Lake Burley Griffin Walks competition in Canberra, the Melbourne Throws meet and the Big Backyard Ultra 2:13:41 to 2:23:50 What’s coming up and Episode 19 wrap – the Anglesea Ekiden, Oceania Championships and a number of Coaching courses.

For Episode 18 Sean and Tim are joined by one of Australia’s leading sprinters, Nana Adoma Owusu-Afriyie. Nana is not long back from the World Relays in Yokohama and a blistering performance over 200m at the Osaka World Challenge meet.   Nana discusses her career to date, plans for the short to medium term and touches on the long lasting coaching relationship with Tony Marsh.   Also in the episode Sean provides and update on what’s been happening across the globe in athletics while on the domestic front the XCR season is now well underway.   With not one but two hot topics to discuss, Sean and Tim delve into why it is so hard for elite Australian athletes to stay in the sport, or stay aligned to our country and some very questionable selection practices recently beg the question are the Australian selectors still up for the job?   Feature interviews include Craig Mottram about his involvement in developing young athletes and life post competition in general, plus we caught up with 100m sprinter Antonio Vaitohi just after he’d finished his 4km cross country leg at Jells Park.   Out on the cross country circuit DTT has been fortunate to also catch up with Pole Vaulter Cassidy Bradshaw and we also had a chat to Emily Guy after her big long run at Wings for Life in early May.   A very excited Nick Earl has been selected as part of a marathon development squad for England athletics and will slip the English vest on in Toronto later this year. DTT spoke to Nick about his recent move to Tasmania and what it means to be running for England. Joel Tobin-White and Alexandra Patterson both recorded wins at the 8km Cross Country at St Annes so their post race interviews wrap up the coverage from XCR Rd 2. Timeline  0:00:00 to 0:01:00 Intro and welcome to Nana Adoma Owusu-Afriyie 0:01:01 to 0:30:49 International wrap including the World Relays, Diamond League meets, Gotsis Multis and various other European and Japanese results 0:30:50 to 0:55:32 Spotlight on Nana Adoma Owusu-Afriyie 0:55:33 to 1:07:49 Hot Topic – Trae Williams to Rugby 7’s, Eddie Nketia to New Zealand, Jordan Gusman possibly to Malta and big question marks over Sasha Zhoya’s future. What if anything are Athletics Australia doing, or can do to retain athletes? 1:07:50 to 1:13:02 Feature interview with Antonio Vaitohi 1:13:03 to 1:22:02 Feature interview with Craig Mottram 1:22:03 to 1:43:20 XCR coverage including the recent event at St Annes Vineyard in Myrniong 1:43:21 to 1:49:02 Hot Topic – late changes to selection windows, athletes selected then de-selected, non certified courses used for selection. What’s going on with the Australian selectors? 1:49:03 to 1:57:38 Other results including the SMH Half Maarthon, Leonora Mile and Christchurch Marathon 1:57:39 to 2:01:40 What’s coming up and episode wrap

Some great Australian results overseas at the Payton Jordan and DOHA Diamond League meets in recent weeks. Ellie Pashley nailed the 10000m World Championships qualifying time in the US Meet, while Jordan Gusman gained automatic selection in the 5000m at the same meet, if he chooses to take it.   Brooke Stratton reclaimed some good form with a close third place in the Long Jump at Doha, leading up until the 5th attempt while Ryan Gregson posted a World Championships qualifier in the 1500m.   In local news we wrap up the results from the Great Train Race, Nail Can Hill Run in Albury, Wings for Life Melbourne World Run and cover the VRWC Walks event at Albert Park. The Sydney:10 proved once again to be the showcase event for Athletics NSW, with Ben St Lawrence and Emily Brichacek recording strong wins over the 10km Homebush course. Tim also comments on a new concept event from South Australia, the Flinders Twilight Cross Country.   XCR’19 kicked off in fine, if rather damp, form at Jells Park with a large turn out providing plenty to talk about. St Stephens took out Men’s Premier Division, with the Know Men in Division Two recording the second fastest team time of the day. Melbourne University wheeled out their track runners to take a win in the Women’s Premier Division, with a resurgent Collingwood Harriers not too far adrift. AV CEO leads the interview list from Jells with Jack Davies, Liam Adams, James Coleman, Matt Johnson, Ciara Boyd-Squires-Long, Kelly Hetherington James Atkinson and Stu Macaulay all taking time to be grilled by the AV interview team.   In a couple of feature interview from Jells Part we speak to Virginia McCormick (nee Moloney) about her comeback post Comm Games and wedding and also talk to Stewy McSweyn about what he plans for 2019.   Tim made another planning visit to Bathurst as part of the organisation of the 2021 World Cross Country Championship and provides an update on how things are tracking. Also in Bathurst was Len Johnson… athlete, reporter & athletics columnist so Tim takes time to talk to Len about the World Cross Country and his observations of the competition over time.   Sean follows up on developments in the Caster Semenya case and also touches on the INEOS Sub 2 Marathon attempt, with Eliud Kipchoge planning to break the barrier in London later in 2019. Raelene Boyle’s recent recognition as the legitimate Olympic Gold medallist, without being given the medals, is also discussed as part of the hot topics segment.   Plenty to talk about in Episode 17…    Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:00:58 – Intro 0:00:59 to 0:32:51 – Payton Jordan and Doha Diamond League wrap 0:32:52 to 0:46:30 – Local & interstate results including the Great Train Race, Nail   Can Hill, VRWC Albert Park, Wings for Life, Sydney:10 & Flinders Twilight  XC 0:46:31 to 1:24:54 – XCR’19 Rd 1 – Jells Park 1:24:55 to 1:36:43 – Feature interviews with Virginia McCormick and Stewart McSweyn 1:36:44 to 1:57:42 – Bathurst 2021 update including an interview with Len Johnson 1:57:43 to 2:12:23 – Hot topics – Caster Semenya update, the INEOS Sun 2 attempt and Raelene Boyle 2:12:24 to 2:16:45 – Episode wrap

The London Marathon proved a happy hunting ground for Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei, but the Australian contingent were not to be outdone. Sean and Tim discuss how the Victorians fared in London and well as providing an overview of the event itself and some interesting side conversations on biological passports and the next iteration of Nike’s racing shoe.   Catriona Bisset was the star performer at the Australian University T&F Championships, dipping under the 2min 800m barrier for the first time. Sean outlines what’s ahead for Catriona and the impact her rise to prominence has had on her life. Other results are discussed, including Georgia Griffith and Georgia Hansen’s 1-2 in the Women’s 1500m   As expected the Stawell Gift provided plenty of excitement and a review of the results talks about the great wins by Alexia Loizou and Dhruv Rodrigues Chico in the gifts.   Tim took a trip to Darwin for the Arafura Games and gives an overview of the event that includes interviews with Caitlyn Sharp, Erika Gosney and Jaryd Clifford.   XCR kicks off this Saturday so the focus at AV changes from the track to the fields of Jells Park for the traditional opening round – the Cross Country relays over 6k or 3k.   In the hot topics Sean and Tim discuss the Caster Semenya decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport – a compelling listen if you want a balanced view of the verdict. Tim also laments the loss of a couple of high profile road races this year and the announcement from Jess Trengove and Dylan Stenson that they are expecting a child has been warmly received across the athletics family.   The podcast wraps up with the Australian Team announcements for the World Relays in Yokohama, the Oceania Championships in Townsville and the Global Games in Brisbane.   The athletics excitement continues… Timeline 0:00:00 to 0:01:22 Intro 0:01:23 to 0:23:05 London Marathon recap 0:23:06 to 0:40: 15 Australian University Championships & Hamburg Marathon results 0:40:16 to 0:50:55 Stawell Gift wrap up 0:55:56 to 1:12:28 Arafura Games and Interviews with Caitlyn Sharp, Erika Gosney & Jaryd Clifford 1:12:29 to 1:17:44 XCR Preview 1:17:45 to 1:31:47 Hot topics: Caster Semenya, some road races may disappear, baby news for Jess Trengove and Dylan Stenson 1:31:48 to 1:39:32 Australian team announcements 1:39:33 to 1:43:38 Episode wrap